1. Why?

[1] The present state of our world provokes many to wonder at times with puzzlement: ‘Why?’ When one browses through any newspaper on any day, one is sure to be saturated with news of violent crimes, corruption, wars and what not! Neither our television sets nor our radios relay anything different. We are well into the 21st century wherein mankind is said to have made immense progress in all fields, yet evil stubbornly persists and even thrives. It does appear that evil will never be gone from our societies. After all, the progress of Man has only resulted in a situation, wherein more and more states are acquiring Nukes and other Weapons of Mass Destruction. Tomorrow, if suicide terrorists acquire nukes, it will be the end of our world as we know it. And, reports indicate that we are inching closer and closer to that moment, with every passing day. Even in many other ways, the world is closer to total apocalypse now, than it has ever been, but the daily bread & butter struggles of our lives do not permit us to dwell on such matters. For once, let us push the pause button on our lives and reflect on our times and the lives we live.

[2] Countless people die each day. Earthquakes swallow thousands every year and Tsunamis create absolute havoc wherever they strike. Such natural disasters are only increasing in frequency and intensity owing to our mindless exploitation of nature. Thanks to globalization, diseases have gone global and we get warned of global epidemics every other year. Diseases we have never even heard of before like Avian flu and Swine flu pop up often and kill thousands. Truly, we live in a perilous world! We are the generation that has seen the rise of suicide terrorism, wherein men use their own lives as weapons to kill innocents in thousands. Many who die in such attacks have no relationship to the terrorist, and simply die so that the terrorist can make a point. Nobody can forget September 11, 2001 when hijacked planes rammed into the Twin towers in New York City, killing more than 3000 people. That day, it was not soldiers in a war front that died. They were normal people who had just gone to their offices like any other day, never to come back. Such is the fickleness of human existence. Because of this, many times we are engulfed by fear and sadness. Certainly the pain one endures at the loss of a loved one is immeasurable. Long after they are gone, their memories continue to haunt us. Such losses also make us fear the future. If death is the ultimate fate of mankind, why were we even created? Is death the irreversible law of nature? Many have accepted it to be so.

[3] It is not as though death is the only reason for agony in our lives. A little girl lost her limbs in a terrible accident. When she regained consciousness and realized for the first time what had happened to her, she broke down and looked at her dad with tears and asked ‘Why did this happen to me, Daddy?’ Her daddy, who used to have answers to all her questions, didn’t have any to this one.  He walked out of the room and cried bitterly. Surely, he too would have been plagued by the same question – ‘Why?’ Can anyone give a reply to that little girl? Such incidents happen every day! Some of us may even have been part of one and also wondered ‘Why’. Tides of confusion, fear, helplessness and grief would have overwhelmed us. Years may have passed by, but the pain caused by such incidents do linger.

[4] Our lives are filled with such tales of sorrow. Some people’s lives are so bitter that they choose to end their own lives. A majority of the world’s population lives in abject poverty with no access to even basic necessities. Many of them die daily. Nobody even keeps a count of that. Wars and ethno-racial conflicts kill hundreds annually across the world. Yet, even the so called civilized states continue to build their arsenals and continue to wage wars. Even in peaceful parts of the world, many are born handicapped. Some become mentally disturbed. Some are crushed by defeats and personal losses, never to recover again. Families are broken. More and more marriages are ending in divorces. Jobs are not fulfilling. Society is unjust and unfair, filled with corruption and nepotism. In the end, old age comes with its own recipe of suffering. Oh! How many struggles and disappointments we endure! From the moment we are born till the moment we die, we suffer in spirit and in body. Yet, we console ourselves by saying that this is what life is. We accept death, grief and suffering as part of life and live on, looking forward to the little joys that come along now and then. Similarly, we accept wars, poverty and corruption as part of society, and if bothered, we try not to think about them. Such is the real nature of our lives and our societies – suffering on one side and apathy on the other.

[5] The aforementioned facts do cast a doubt about God on the minds of many reasonable and good natured people. Why the almighty God is not doing anything to ease the sufferings of mankind? If He is all capable, then He sure can make everything right. After all, even if a good man rises to a powerful office, he uses everything in his power to do good. We hear about such people and they inspire us. Then why does God, who is almighty, which means ‘He can do anything’ does not do anything to uplift mankind? If He has any control over nature, why does He allow natural disasters to take place? Why doesn’t He rise up against injustice and corruption? He doesn’t seem to be bothered even when good people suffer. Why? Research indicates that in Africa it is the children who suffer the most due to the many civil wars that ravage that continent. Many die every single day due to starvation and malnutrition. Doesn’t God have mercy on even little children? Even hijackers and ransom seekers tend to release children. If God is content on being just a mute spectator, then why does He demand worship from us? It is a lack of convincing answers to such questions that has led many good hearted people to atheism. These are without doubt legitimate and important questions that deserve credible answers.

[6] God does exist. He indeed is all capable. And, He has immeasurable love towards mankind. In fact, He has planned a glorious future for us. God has given answers to all the questions regarding the present state of mankind through His book, the Holy Bible. The Bible reveals the only true God. And, using the Bible, this book seeks to answer the many questions that silently plague our minds about God and our lives. You may not follow the God of the Bible. You may be an atheist. But, if you read this book fully, you will know what a wonderful future God has in store for you and for the world. That knowledge will fill you with peace, hope and gratitude.

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